Business of beauty

Jasmine Singh

Rita Gangwani, personality development mentor, coach of Miss India 2017 Manushi Chillar, doesn’t have to study the contestants to see how far they can go in a beauty pageant. “It’s the fire; instinctively, this is the first thing that I see in the contestants. If they have the fire, then they are always willing to push ahead.”

Guiding light

Rita is in Chandigarh to give grooming sessions to the contestants competing for Mrs Chandigarh — A Woman Of Substance contest, whose grand finale will be held on Sunday. Rita, a retired lieutenant and President of India awardee, smiles when asked about height — still the most-sought-after attribute for modelling. “For the international pageants, contestants have to fulfil a certain height criteria; this, however, is not applicable for local or national-level pageants.”

Changing times

Well, does this mean just about everyone, with any kind of height and shape can become a model? We are surprised when Rita nods in approval. “The modelling scene has changed; it has become more women-dominated now. Girls are much bolder in their approach; they do not shy away from experimenting with their look. In fact, anyone with any kind of height or body can be a model today, which has opened various avenues in the world of modelling.”

One very visible change is the participation of more girls from rural areas, interiors of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. “It has made my work even more challenging, but at the same time it is an encouraging and inspiring change,” adds Rita, who first holds one-on-one sessions with the girls from rural areas to build their confidence.

“And let me tell you, these girl are doing pretty well, because they have the fire to represent their village, their state and their home,” adds Rita, whose book The Beauty Pageant’s Greenroom is a road-map for aspiring models. “I am writing another one on Indian sanskaars, I want children in schools to know the value of kumkum or mangalsutra and I hope this becomes a part of their curriculum.”

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